Take The Gray Out Of HIPAA – Risk Analysis Will Help

Most people with even a casual understanding of HIPAA realize there is a great deal of gray area involved in the implementation of the Rule. This is another way of saying lawmakers intended to provide the regulators with flexibility in HIPAA enforcement. After all, this is a Rule that applies to everything from single doctor practices to multiple-site hospital systems. It is this flexibility – specifically regarding “addressable specifications” of the Security Rule – that makes HIPAA such an implementation nightmare. However, navigating the gray areas, and determining what is “reasonable and appropriate” for your organization is not as challenging as it may seem.

First, you must establish what you need to analyze to determine whether a safeguard is “reasonable and appropriate.” HIPAA provides the factors as follows,

The size, complexity and capabilities of the organization;

The technical infrastructure, hardware, and software capabilities;

The costs of the safeguards being considered; and

The probability and criticality of potential risks to PHI.

Once the criteria is established, the method of analysis must be determined. The Rule provides the answer to that as well, a Security Risk Analysis. This is a systematic approach to identifying and determining the likelihood of organizational risks and vulnerabilities. There are many of these available on the market, HHS even provides one free of charge. The two most important things to consider when completing a risk analysis is 1) ensure it covers your entire organization, and 2) ensure it is well documented.

Once you are equipped with the information from the risk analysis, you will understand the scope of your risks.
Based on your organization’s size, complexity, technical capabilities, and associated costs you will then be able to clearly determine what safeguards are required.